by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
With a seventh straight win safely tucked away, Kansas City Kansas Community College’s surging Lady Blue Devils take to a road that suddenly gets a whole lot tougher.
Only two junior varsity opponents remain among the nine games before the holiday break and six of the next seven games are away from the friendly confines of the KCKCC Field House.
It all starts Saturday when the Blue Devils play Metropolitan Community College (3-2) on the Penn Valley campus at 5 p.m.
A women’s-men’s doubleheader at Allen County follows Tuesday night and single game at North Central Missouri Nov. 27 before KCKCC gets back home against William Penn junior varsity Nov. 29.
The unbeaten and No. 9 ranked Blue Devils made quick work of Saint Mary junior varsity Thursday, bolting to a 29-5 first quarter lead on the way to a 95-61 win.
Just 2-of-12 from the field, the Lady Spires stayed nearly stride for stride in the middle two quarters thanks to their perimeter shooting. Outscored just 45-40 in the middle two periods, the Spires were 11-of-25 from 3-point.
Five Blue Devils scored in double figures. Named NJCAA National Player of the Week on Wednesday, Nija Collier led the way with 25 points and 18 rebounds. Lillie Moore added 16 points and six rebounds, Camryn Swanson 14 points including four 3-pointers, Lenaejha Evans 13 points and Brodi Byrd 10.
KCKCC had 28 assists on 38 goals with Caitlin Stewart and Evans handing out six each and Lexy Watts five.
The Blue Devils also controlled the rebounding 53-29 with Kisi Young, Watts and Moore adding six each to Collier’s 18.
Guilty of 16 turnovers while forcing 18, the Lady Blue Devils shot 52.1 percent from the field despite 6-of-23 (.261) shooting from 3-point.